Almost
"What do you mean, Professor?" asked a perplexed Skipper. "Why would I be the cause for my little buddy seeing himself?"
"Yes, Professor," Mrs. Howell agreed. "I mean really- the captain wouldn't cause a boy like Gilligan to hallucinate! Would he, Thurston?"
Mr. Howell rolled his eyes. "Lovey, would you please let the man tell us what he means?"
"Thank you, Mister Howell. What I mean is that Gilligan may be feeling unappreciated," the Professor explained. "In his subconscious mind, he may have created the image of his double because he wanted to be a hero. Gilligan probably wanted to stop this notorious spy and be recognized for bravery."
"I see what you mean, Professor," began Skipper, "but what does that have to do with me?"
The Professor immediately answered: "Because you're the skipper, Skipper! You always save us from various circumstances. You've protected us all from danger, and Gilligan wants to do the same."
"But when you can't protect us, Gilligan saves us!" Mary Ann protested, folding her arms. "Like the time with the headhunter! We were all captured, and Gilligan was very brave to come and push the headhunter into the fire. He ran off screaming! And those other headhunters, too! And do you remember when the water ran out? Gilligan found more! When the Japanese sailor ca-"
"Oh," Ginger exclaimed, interrupting. "Who are you- Mary Poppins?"
"Professor, isn't there anything we can do to help the poor boy?" Mrs. Howell asked.
"Well, fortunately, I happen to know a little something about psychology," the Professor stated matter-of-factly. "I suggest that, in the morning, we try to find what's bothering Gilligan without making him suspicious. Mary Ann, on the other side of the island..."
Gilligan sat alone in the dark cave. The scene from a few hours ago played back in his mind: him tripping over his doubles pocket knife, and him running from his double in fright.
Maybe if I had chased him, Gilligan thought, he wouldn't be in camp where my friends are.
Gilligan continued to battle the vines wrapped tightly around his wrists. He could feel hunger gnawing at him; he hadn't eaten lunch on the account he had been sent out for coconuts, and now the spy caused him to miss dinner as well.
His solemn eyes lit up as he felt the vines around his wrists loosen their grip. Gilligan would have smiled had there not have been a gag around his head. Maybe I can get out of here! he thought excitedly, but when he tried to pull his hand out, he found it to be just as stuck as before.
Sadly, Gilligan stopped his struggles. He felt overwhelmingly tired, and he let his head droop so his chin rested on his chest. He gave one more final tug, before drifting off into a fitful slumber, not realizing the vines had finally give in to his struggles and fallen to the ground.
The sun rose up and shone through the window of the small hut, awakening Agent 222. He blinked his eyes to adjust to the bright morning light, forgetting where he was until he sat up and saw he was in a hammock; then he remembered and slowly attempted to climb out.
The Skipper was walking by the hut, hoping that 'Gilligan' was awake, when he heard a loud crash followed by a low moan. He raced into the door to find 'Gilligan' under both the hammocks with the bamboo supports lying in an 'X' on top of him.
"Oh, little buddy!" Skipper lamented, picking up the bamboo poles before helping 'Gilligan' to his feet. "How did that happen?"
"I tried to get out of that deathtrap!" 222 cried, remembering just in time to use Gilligan's voice.
Staring at the poles in his hands, reality hit Skipper. "Oh, Gilligan!" he bellowed. "Now I'll have to spend all day putting those back up!"
222 winced at how loud the Skipper had shouted."Do you have to yell so loudly in my EAR?!" the spy whined before turning about and bursting out the door. The Skipper just sighed in exasperation and decided against following his little buddy.
"Gilligan!" Mary Ann called as he raced by, making 222 stop in his tracks. He turned to the girl wearing a long sleeved blue shirt with dark blue overalls.
"What is it, Mary Ann?" 222 asked innocently.
"Have you seen my scarf?" the farm girl asked. "The blue one?"
Thinking back, 222 remembered. That was the scarf he had used on Gilligan. "Uh... no," he lied. "Why do you need it?"
"I was going to go to the other side of the island," Mary Ann explained. "The Professor said he needed some berries for an experiment. I was going to wear my scarf, because the Professor said that there are a lot of bugs in the place the berries grow."
"Oh, well you must have left it somewhere," 222 guessed. "Why don't you use one of Ginger's?"
"Hey!" Mary Ann exclaimed, smiling. "That's a great idea. The best one you've had this week!"
"Oh, well," began the agent, unsure of what to say. He still wasn't used to playing someone who wasn't as smart as he was. "You're welcome, Mary Ann." He spun around and was about to resume his running when Mary Ann stopped him again.
"Where are you going?" she asked, as if she were talking to a little boy in trouble with his parents.
"Did I miss breakfast?" 222 asked, improvising.
"Well, yes," Mary Ann said. "We had breakfast a little over an hour ago."
"Then that's what I'm going to get!" And with that, the agent whirled around and sped off into the jungle. When Mary Ann called again, he just ignored her and kept running.
Mary Ann stood for a while, staring at where the 'first mate' had disappeared. "I wonder what that was all about," she said, before returning to the hut she shared with Ginger.
When she opened the door, she could see that Ginger wasn't present. Her bed hadn't been made up as well. As usual, Mary Ann thought as she walked over to the table in the center of the hut. All of Ginger's beautiful scarves were piled up into a mess of color. Half-rolling her eyes, Mary Ann grabbed the first blue scarf she could find. She was about to leave when something caught her attention.
On the table, in the mess of scarves, was something golden. When Mary Ann removed all of the colored cloth, she gasped at what lay underneath. It was a mirror of gold, encrusted with red jewels. On the handle were three buttons: red, blue, and purple.
"Where would Ginger have gotten something like this?" she wondered, running her fingers along the rim, marveling at the beautiful combination of ruby red jewels and the gold frame. When she picked it up, her reflection stared back.
Mary Ann tied the scarf carefully around her head, intending to use it as a shield from the island insects. She was about to leave when she remembered to cover the mirror up carefully, so as not to break it or arouse Ginger's suspicions. Soon, the mirror was once again covered in a mass of rainbow scarves.
The farm girl nodded, satisfied, and raced out the door. Mary Ann ran to the supply hut, and then to the Professor's hut to retrieve the basket she had used with Ginger the day before.
Once she was prepared, Mary Ann jogged into the jungle, pigtails bouncing. Just a few meters into the trees, she caught sight of 'Gilligan' standing amongst the foliage. She was about to call out to him, but something held her back. She could see what he was doing: he was talking, but Mary Ann was out of earshot. As far as she could tell, 'Gilligan' was talking into a spoon.
222 stood in the jungle. In one hand he held a banana peel and in the other he held his golden pocket knife. He was about to report to the Commandant when the familiar whine emanated from the object.
He quickly unfolded it.
"Have you gotten de information?" the Commandant inquired impatiently.
"Not yet, Commandant," 222 replied. "I vill get the information vhen I have gained their trust."
"You have not gained their trust?!" the Commandant exclaimed, and 222 could tell he was fuming. "My superiors are very impatient, and you are very avare of vhat dey vill do if you fail! Ve give you simpler instructions, ve give you second chance, and ve give you more time! Vhat more can ve do?"
222 thought for a moment. "You could remember that I have forty-six hours left and that there is still a chance that I von't fail?" he guessed.
"Yes, I could," the Commandant agreed, "but you have already failed this mission before. If you fail again… Vell, let's just say you vill have bigger things to vorry about dan Siberia. After you have gotten de information, complete the last phase of your mission."
"Da, Commandant," the spy said with a grin before closing his pocket knife. He tossed the peel behind him and walked off toward his temporary hideout.
